Sometimes all you need is a gentle push in the right direction to realize your life’s ambition. In the case of Eric Lartigau’s The Big Picture, that means killing your wife’s lover, stealing his identity and running away to Montenegro to live happily (or unhappily) ever after. And to think most people just go to college to find themselves.

Romain Duris (Heartbreaker, Molière) stars as Paul Exben, a successful lawyer/family man who discovers his wife Sarah (Marina Foïs) is having an affair behind his back. To make matters worse, Paul knows the guy, ‘Arrogant prick! He makes my skin crawl’ Unfortunately, Paul’s skin isn’t the only one this guy’s crawling on.

After Sarah asks for a divorce, Paul’s life begins to spiral out of control. He confronts his wife’s lover, only to be met with total indifference, ‘You want us to share her? Count me in, let’s be modern.’ Naturally, Paul’s a little upset and hits “Cheating Tom” over the head with a bottle. A fight ensues, and Greg (Sarah’s lover) is killed by accident. Rather than call the police, Paul decides to dispose of Greg’s body, assume his identity and run away (faking his own death in the process.)

The premise is silly, bordering on ridiculous; but there’s a method to Lartigau’s supposed madness. The Big Picture is less about murder and more about self-discovery... specifically Paul’s search for his true identity. It’s merely a coincidence that he longs to be what Greg already was... a photographer. After escaping to the picturesque Adriatic coast, Paul begins a new life... the life he wanted before going to law school.

Duris is sensational as a tormented father, who justifies abandoning his children by hiding the truth (that their father is a murderer.) It sounds strange, but I can understand his thought process... to a degree. When Paul (now Greg) discovers instant success, he embraces fame (and the publicity that follows it) knowing full well that it will expose him to the outside world. This, I don’t understand: Why not cut ties altogether with Greg? How can this possibly not end badly?

Lartigau’s film generates little suspense, outside of Paul’s own anxiety. ‘Funny. You don’t seem to believe in yourself,’ remarks Ivana, an art agent who falls for Paul. She’s right of course, but Paul’s path to believing in himself seems to be the whole point of the movie. It’s a bit of stretch, but it does allow for some genuinely breathtaking cinematography (Laurent Dailland.)

Greg’s death and Paul’s subsequent departure break the film into two parts, the first of which I found superior. The time between Paul’s first suspicion of his wife’s infidelity and its verification is way too short. Ditto for the screen time allotted to Catherine Deneuve as Paul’s business partner/friend: Deneuve still looks as glamorous as ever, even as she approaches 70: Women like her are born, not made.

The movie’s second half is a bit sluggish, where even fine actors like Niels Arestrup (A Prophet) have difficulty standing out from the crowd. The final 10 minutes take the entire movie into an entirely new (and rather unnecessary) direction... an unfitting conclusion to an otherwise strong film.